Method of and apparatus for making



Jan. 31, 1956 c. E. NEISLER, JR 2,732,865

' METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING INFLATABLE FABRICS Filed June 19, 1953 WM F QL ATTORNEYS United States Patent METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING INFLATABLE FABRICS This invention relates generally to improvements in fabrics and method of, and apparatus for, making the same and, more particularly, to improvements in arcuate inflatable mattress fabrics and method of, and apparatus for, making the same.

It is the primary aim and object of the present invention to provide mattress fabric formed of a pair of fabrics having an intermediate thread extending therebetween and connected thereto in which said fabric is adapted to assume an arcuate shape of a desired curvature.

It is another object of the present invention to provide arcuate mattress fabric of the aforenoted character in which the arcuate shape is of a curvature that is readily and accurately controllable.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved method of making the fabric material of the aforenoted character, said method readily lending itself to efficient and low cost mass production.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide improved apparatus for making the fabric material of the aforenoted character, said apparatus being simple in design and construction, and economical to manufacture.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention wil be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawing which illustrates the best mode now contemplated by me for carrying out my invention:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of loom apparatus formed according to the present inventiong'and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary schematic view of the arcuate inflatable mattress fabric formed on the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 2 thereof, there is shown a segment of mattress fabric 16 which comprises a pair of fabrics 12 and 14 which are interconnected by the intermediate thread 16, said pair of fabrics being disposed in confronting disposition and laterally spaced apart. It will be understood that the intermediate thread 16 is secured to the fabrics 12 and 14 in a manner to be described in detail hereinafter and said intermediate thread is transversely disposed between said pair of fabrics. It will be noted that the fabric 14 is elongated relative to the fabric 12, said arrangement providing a fabric material which is adapted to assume an arcuate shape of a desired curvature. The method of, and apparatus for forming the mattress fabric 10 will now be described in detail with reference to Fig. 1.

The loom 20, a fragmentary portion of which is shown in Fig. l, is conventional except in the respects to be specifially noted hereinafter, and comprises a series of gages 22 which are disposed warp-wise of the apparatus. Theseries of threads A and B are adapted to form the upper fabric 14 and the series of threads C and D are adapted to form the lower fabric 12, the intermediate fl'ifed E being fidtipfd to 1561111 ih infrfhdiate thread 16 shown in Fig. 2. As is conventional in weaving on loom apparatus of this character, warp and weft threads wil be interwoven to simultaneously form the pair of fabrics 12 and 14 which are laterally spaced in confronting disposition with the spacing corresponding to the width of the series of gages 22. The intermediate thread B will be woven with the warp and weft threads of the pair of fabrics 12 and 14, respectively, in succession during the weaving of said pair of fabrics with the thread E extending transversely between said pair of fabrics. Thus the weaving operation, as aforedescribed relative ot the loom apparatus 20, is conventional in all respects whereby it will be apparent that the fabrics 12 and 14 will be spaced apart a distance corresponding to the width of the series of gages 22. If desired said fabrics 12 and 14 may be spaced apart a distance substantially greater than the width of the series of gages 22, this arrangement being fully shown, described and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 360,435, filed June 9, 1953, for Fabrics and Method of Making the Same. Thus the fabrics 12 and 14 may be spaced apart corresponding to the width of the gages 22 or said fabrics may be spaced apart in the manner shown in my copending application aforereferred to. The loom 26 will be provided with two warp beams, one beam for fabric 12 and one beam for fabric 14. 7

Pursuant to the present invention, there is provided a pair of take-down rolls 24 and 26 which are verticallyand laterally spaced from each other, it being noted that said take-down rolls are positioned forwardly of the series of gages 22. Associated with the forwardly positioned take-down roll 26 and disposed therebelow is a wind-up roll 28 which is adapted to receive and windup the fabric 10 from the take-down roll 26. The take-down roll 24 is adapted to rotate at a greater peripheral speed than the take-down roll 26 whereby the upper fabric 14, which is adapted for association with the take-down roll 24, will be of greater length relative to the fabric 12 which is adapted for association with the take-down roll 26 on being drawn from the series of gages 22. It will also be apparent that the warp beam for the fabric 14 will permit the latter to be drawn off at a faster rate relative to the fabric 12 by roll 24. Since the shuttles travel across the fabrics 12 and 14 the same number of times per unit of time, fabric 14 will have a lesser number of of weft threads per unit of length than the fabric 12. However, the difference in the number of weft threads in fabrics 12 and 14 will be relatively small for practically all curvatures desired of fabric material 10. The take-down. rolls 24 and 26 are mounted for rotation on the shafts 30 and 32, respectively, in the direction of the arrows as shown. Disposed on the peripherally extending surface 25 of the roll 24 is a series of projecting elements 34 which are adapted to cooperate with adjacent face portions of the fabric 14 for drawing the latter. The elements 34 may be of any desired construction and arrangement whereby to provide for the engagement thereof with the fabric 14 without damaging the latter. Any suitable means (not shown) may be provided for rotating the shafts 3i and 32 so as to provide for the aforenoted different peripheral speeds of the take-down rolls 24 and 26. The upper take-down roll 24 is adapted to rotate at a greater peripheral speed than the take-down roll 26 and, if desired, the shafts 3t) and 32 may be interconnected by any suitable mechanism indicated generally at 36 for providing a fixed relative speed between said shafts so as to provide for a fixed relative peripheral speed between the take-down rolls 24 and 26. Thus the fabric 14 on being drawn from the gages 22 is adapted to cooperate with the take-down roll 24 so as to provide for the greater length of said fabric relative to the fabric 12.

Similarly the fabric 12 on being drawn from the series of gages 22 is adapted to cooperate with the lower take-down roll 26, the latter being driven at a slower peripheral speed than the take-down roll 24. Thus the differential peripheral speed of the take-down rolls 24 and 26 will be effective to provide for the differential length between the companion pair of fabrics 12 and 14. It is to be noted that the pair of fabrics 12 and 14 will converge towards the take-down roll 26 and will be guided therearound onto the wind-up roll 28.

The fabrics 12 and 14 may be thereafter suitably coated or impregnated with a fluid impervious material so that articles fabricated therefrom will be correspondingly fluid impervious. Thus by way of example it is to be noted that the mattress fabric may be fabricated into arcuate air-inflatable mattresses or fluid containers. Accordingly the aforedescribed mattress fabric 10 may be used to form fluid containers or inflatable mattresses of a desired curvature that is readily and accurately controllable. The instant mattress fabric 10 readily lends itself to the formation of fluid containers having an arcuate shape of a desired curvature whereby such containers may be readily associated with complementary structure of a corresponding shape. It is to be noted that, if desired, the shafts 30 and 32 of the take-down rolls 24 and 26, respectively, may be independently driven so as to provide for the aforedescribed diiferential peripheral speed or, if desired, said shafts may be operatively linked by suitable means 36 so as to provide for a fixed relative differential speed.

Certain features shown but not claimed herein are claimed in my divisional application Serial No. 513,323, filed in the United States Patent Ofiice on May 27,1955.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the present invention Without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of making an arcuate fabric material formed of a pair of fabrics interconnected by an intermediate thread, comprising the steps of weaving said pair of fabrics in confronting disposition at the same time, weaving said intermediate thread to said pair of fabrics at spaced intervals with said thread extending transversely of said pair of fabrics and adapted to interconnect the latter, and drawing one of said pair of fabrics at a faster rate than the other of said fabrics whereby said one fabric will be of greater length relative to the other of said pair of fabrics so that the latter will assume an arcuate configuration.

2. The method of making an arcuate fabric material formed of a pair of fabrics interconnected by an intermediate thread, comprising the steps of weaving said pair of fabrics in confronting disposition at the same time, weaving said intermediate thread to said pair of fabrics at spaced intervals with said thread extending transversely of said pair of fabrics and adapted to interconnect the latter, and drawing one of said pair of fabrics at a faster rate relative to the other of said pair of fabrics so that the latter will assume an arcuate configuration.

3. The. method of making an arcuate fabric material formed of a pair of fabrics having an intermediate thread extending therebetween and connected thereto, comprising the steps of simultaneously weaving said pair of fabrics in confronting disposition, securing portions of said intermediate thread to said pair of fabrics with said thread extending transversely therebetween, and providing for the elongation of one of said pair of fabrics relative to the other of said pair of fabrics so that the latter will assume an arcuate configuration.

4. The method of making an arcuate fabric material 2,732,865 A V g formed of a pair of fabrics having an intermediate thread extending therebetween and connected thereto comprising providing a pair of fabrics having an intermediate thread extending therebetwen and connected thereto and drawing one of said pair of fabrics at a faster rate relative to the other of said pair of fabrics so that the latter will assume an arcuate configuration.

5. The method of making. an arcuate fabric material forrned of a pair of fabrics having an intermediate thread extending therebetween and connected thereto, comprising the steps of simultaneously weaving said pair of fabrics in confronting disposition, securing portions of said intermediate thread to said pair of fabrics with said thread extending transversely therebetween, and drawing oif one of said pair of fabrics at a faster rate than the drawing off of the other of said pair of fabrics to thereby elongate said one fabric relative to said other fabric so that said pair of fabrics will assume an arcuate configuration.

6. The method of making an arcuate fabric material on a loom having a series of gages disposed warpwise thereof with the material being formed of a pair of woven fabrics having an intermediate thread extending therebetween and woven thereto, comprising the steps of interweaving warp and weft threads to simultaneously form a pair of fabrics disposed in laterally spaced confronting disposition with said spacing corresponding to the width of said series of gages, weaving said intermediate thread with said warp and weft threads of said pair of fabrics, respectively, in succession during the weaving of said pair of fabrics with said thread extending transversely between said pair of fabrics, and drawing one of said pair of fabrics at a faster rate than the drawing of the other of said pair of fabrics to thereby elongate said one fabric relative to said other fabric so that said pair of fabrics will assume an arcuate configuration.

7. In a loom for making an arcuate fabric material formed of a pair of fabrics interconnected by an intermediate thread, a series of gages disposed warpwise thereof, and a pair of take down rolls positioned forwardly of said series of gages, one of said rolls being adapted to rotate at a greater peripheral speed than the other of said rolls, and meansfor rotating said rolls at different peripheral speeds.

8. In a loom for making an arcuate fabric material formed of a pair of fabrics interconnected by an intermediate thread, a pair of spaced take down rolls, one of said rolls being adapted to rotate at a greater peripheral speed than the other of said rolls, and means for rotating said rolls at different peripheral speeds.

9. In a loom for making an arcuate fabric material formed on a pair of fabrics interconnected by an intermediate thread, a series of gages disposed warpwise thereof, and'a pair of take down rolls positioned forwardly of said series of gages, said rolls being vertically and laterally spaced from each other, one of said rolls being adapted to rotate at a greater peripheral speed than the other of said rolls, and means for rotating said rolls at different peripheral speeds.

10. In a loom for making an arcuate fabric material formed of a pair of fabrics interconnected by an intermediate thread, a series of gages disposed warpwise thereof, and a pair of take down rolls positioned forwardly of said series of gages, said rolls being vertically and laterally spaced from each other, one of said rolls being adapted to rotate at a greater peripheral speed than the other of said rolls, means for rotating said rolls at different peripheral speeds, and means disposed on the peripherally extending surface of said one roll for engaging one of said pair of fabrics for drawing the same.

11. In a loom for making an arcuate fabric material formed of a pair of fabrics interconnected by an intermediate thread, a series of gages disposed warpwise there- .of, and a pair of take down rolls positioned forwardly of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Holmes June 8, 1937 Brindle Apr. 27, 1943 MacIntyre Mar. 24, 1953 Ford Nov. 3, 1953 Walters Mar. 16, 1954 

